Yes SIR, says Church; LDF, UDF to oppose
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant political development, the highly influential Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has welcomed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, even as the ruling LDF and opposition UDF have decided to challenge it legally.
On Wednesday, as an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came down heavily on the SIR, the Church asked the faithful to cooperate with the drive.
The Church’s stance assumes importance as it comes a day after Major Archbishop Marf Raphael Thattil met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday.
In a letter, the Church Public Affairs Committee secretary Fr James Kokkavayalil urged the laity to cooperate with booth level officers (BLOs) visiting their homes with enumeration forms. The Church also asked the faithful to ensure they keep all the documents prescribed by the Election Commission ready at the time of the BLOs’ visit.
“These are officials deputed to help us. We should collect their phone number for clearing doubts and further communication,” it said. It also instructed Church members who are based abroad, but are Indian citizens, should fill the forms online or through relatives via the BLOs.
Meanwhile, at the all-party meeting held online, the government and the Opposition came together as all parties, with the exception of the BJP, backed the proposal to move court against the SIR. The CM said the government and CPM will seek legal opinion on challenging the SIR, which was being carried out when the state is heading to local body polls. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said the Congress was ready to become a party if the government took the lead in challenging the SIR legally.
SIR is anti-constitutional and undemocratic, says Govindan
Pinarayi also alleged that using the 2002 SIR roll when the 2025 voters’ list was available, was part of an ulterior motive. All parties were also of the view that revising the voters roll on the basis of the 2002 SIR would invite many complications.
Speaking at the all-party meeting, CPM state secretary M V Govindan termed the SIR anti-constitutional and undemocratic.
Representatives of various political parties attending the meet included P C Vishnunadh (Congress), Sathyan Mokeri (CPI), K Surendran (BJP), P K Kunhalikutty (IUML), Stephen George (KC-M), P J Joseph (KC), Mathew T Thomas (JD-S), Thomas K Thomas (NCP) and N K Premachandran
(RSP).
Uzhamalaykkal Venugopal (Congress-S), K G PRemjith (KC-B), Adv Shaji G S Panicker (RSP-Leninist), K R Girijan (KC-Jacob), Ahamed Devarkovil (INL) and Antony Raju (Democratic Kerala Congress) also spoke.
SIR
Day 2
8.85 lakh people, around 3.18% of voters in 2025 list, handed enumeration forms on day 2 of SIR on Wednesday
CEO-Kerala directs BLOs carry out the task even at night hours without inconveni-encing voters